Lagerstroemia plant named &#39;Plum Magic&#39;

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Lagerstroemia  plant named ‘Plum Magic’, characterized by its compact, rounded to upright intermediate growth habit, plum-purple new growth, gray-green foliage in summer, fuchsia-pink flowers, and resistance to powdery mildew and Cercospora leaf spot.

GENUS AND SPECIES OF PLANT CLAIMED

Lagerstroemia L.

VARIETY DENOMINATION

‘Plum Magic’

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar ofLagerstroemia plant, botanically known as Lagerstroemia L., commonlyknown as crapemyrtle, and hereinafter referred to by the cultivar name‘Plum Magic’. ‘Plum Magic’ is grown primarily as an ornamental forlandscape use and for use as a potted plant.

‘Plum Magic’ originated from open-pollinated seed of ‘Gamad VI’ (U.S.Plant Patent Applied For) growing in Watkinsville, Ga. The cultivar‘Plum Magic’ originated and was selected in a cultivated environment inWatkinsville, Ga. from the progeny of this open-pollination by continuedevaluation for growth habit and foliage and flower characteristics.

Asexual reproduction of ‘Plum Magic’ by stem cuttings in Watkinsville,Ga. since 2008 has shown that all the unique features of this newLagerstroemia, as herein described, are stable and reproducedtrue-to-type through successive generations of such asexual propagation.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new cultivar ‘Plum Magic’ have not been observed under allpossible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat withchanges in light, temperature, soil and rainfall without, however, anyvariance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe unique characteristics of ‘Plum Magic’. These characteristics incombination distinguish ‘Plum Magic’ as a new and distinct cultivar: 1.Compact, rounded to upright intermediate growth habit; 2. Plum-purplenew growth; 3. Gray-green foliage in summer; 4. Fuchsia-pink flowers; 5.Resistance to powdery mildew and Cercospora leaf spot.

Plants of ‘Plum Magic’ differ from plants of the parent, ‘Gamad VI’,primarily in foliage and flower color. Plants of ‘Gamad VI’ have reddishnew growth, green foliage in summer, and fuchsia flowers whereas plantsof ‘Plum Magic’ have plum-purple new growth, gray-green foliage insummer, and fuchsia-pink flowers.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying color photographs illustrate the flower and foliagecharacteristics and the overall appearance of ‘Plum Magic’, showing thecolors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colorreproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differslightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanicaldescription which accurately describe the colors of the newLagerstroemia.

FIG. 1 illustrates the overall appearance of a mature plant of ‘PlumMagic’.

FIG. 2 illustrates a close-up view of the new growth of ‘Plum Magic’.

FIG. 3 illustrates the summer foliage and new growth of ‘Plum Magic’.

FIG. 4 illustrates a close-up view of the inflorescences of ‘PlumMagic’.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the following description, color references are made to The RoyalHorticultural Society Colour Chart, 2001 Edition, except where generalterms of ordinary dictionary significance are used. Plants used for thedescription were approximately two years old and were grown in 11.8 Lcontainers under outdoor conditions in Watkinsville, Ga. Colors aredescribed using The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart (R.H.S.).

-   Botanical classification: Lagerstroemia L., cultivar ‘Plum Magic’.    Parentage: Female, or seed, parent: Lagerstroemia ‘Gamad VI’ (U.S.    Plant Patent Applied For). Male, or pollen parent: unknown    (open-pollinated). Propagation: terminal cuttings. Time to initiate    roots, summer: about 21 days at 32° C.-   Plant description: Flowering shrub; compact, rounded to upright    growth habit. Freely branching; pruning enhances lateral branch    development.-   Root description: Numerous, fine, fibrous and well-branched.-   Plant size: The original plant, now about four-years-old in the    ground, is about 105 cm high from the soil level to the top of the    inflorescences and about 95 cm wide. First year stems have a    diameter of about 2 mm. Shape: squarish. Second year and older stems    have a diameter of about 5 mm or more. Shape: round.-   Trunk diameter: 2.5 cm at the soil line. Color: 199A.-   Internode length: About 1.5 cm.-   Strength: Flexible when young, easily broken once mature.-   First year stem color (young): 183A. Color (woody): 199A.-   Second year and older stem color: N199D.-   Bark: Exfoliates in strips beginning on second or third year stems.-   Vegetative buds: Sub-opposite to alternate in arrangement,    imbricate, conical, with no pubescence. Color: 183B. Size: about 2    mm in length and 1 mm in width.-   Foliage description:-   Arrangement: Sub-opposite to alternate, simple. Length: about 4 cm.    Width: about 2.2 cm. Shape: elliptical. Apex: acuminate. Base:    cuneate. Margin: entire.-   Texture (upper and lower surfaces): Glabrous and glossy in    developing foliage, and glabrous in fully expanded foliage.-   Venation pattern: Pinnate. Venation color of emerging foliage (upper    surface): 187A. Venation color of emerging foliage (lower surface):    187C. Venation color of fully expanded foliage (upper surface):    146C. Venation color of fully expanded foliage (lower surface):    146D.-   Color in developing foliage (upper and lower surfaces): 187A. Color    in fully expanded foliage (upper surface): 189A. Color in fully    expanded foliage (lower surface): 146B.-   Petiole length: About 1 mm. Petiole diameter: about 1 mm. Petiole    color (upper and lower surfaces): 183B. Pubescence: none.-   Flower description: Flowers are produced from about June to    September in Watkinsville, Ga. An inflorescence is showy for about    two weeks, and individual flowers last about one day and are    self-cleaning.-   Inflorescence type: Panicle. Inflorescence length: about 11 cm.    Inflorescence width: about 7 cm.-   Peduncle: About 9 cm in length, about 2 mm in diameter, color is    187A, and no pubescence.-   Individual flowers: About 2 cm by 3 cm.

Flower buds: Length: about 7 mm; Diameter: about 6 mm; Color: 187B.

-   Pedicels: About 8 mm in length, 59A in color, and no pubescence.-   Calyx: About 7 mm in length, about 7 mm in diameter, 183C in color,    and no pubescence.-   Petals:-   Arrangement/appearance: Usually 6 per flower.-   Petal length: About 1.5 cm.-   Petal width: About 1.2 cm.-   Petal shape: Fan-shaped. Petal apex: ruffled, rounded. Petal base:    sagittate. Petal margin: ruffled. Petal texture (upper and lower    surfaces): glabrous.-   Petal color: Upper and lower surfaces are 71B.-   Stamens:-   Quantity/arrangement: About 20 to 25 short stamens clustered in the    center, about 7 mm long, filament color is 11D, and anther color is    14A. The short stamens are surrounded by 6 longer stamens, about 1.2    cm long, filament color is 63A, and anther color is 22A. The stamens    are not pubescent. Pollen: produced in moderate quantities and is    13C in color.-   Pistils:-   Quantity: One superior pistil per flower. Pubescence: none. Pistil    length: about 1.5 cm in length. Stigma shape: round, about 1 mm in    diameter. Stigma color: 166A. Style color: N34A and about 1 cm in    length. Ovary color: 10C and about 2.5 mm in diameter.-   Fruit:-   Type/appearance: Six-valved, dehiscent, broad ellipsoidal capsule.    Length: about 8 mm. Diameter: about 7 mm. Immature color: 144A.    Mature color: 200C. Each capsule contains many seeds that are about    5 mm long, 3 mm wide, and 200C in color.-   Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the claimed Lagerstroemia variety    grown in field and container trials have exhibited resistance to    powdery mildew and Cercospora leaf spot.

1. A new and distinct Lagerstroemia plant named ‘Plum Magic’, asillustrated and described herein.